Chapter 148 - Busan Trip (5)

The journey back to the hotel was a grim one.

"Song Tamlin's company made this box," Hyun Jung stated. "I can't believe we'll have to ask him for help."

The memory of Song Tamlin shooting down Madam Hong and that sinister look on the man's face was still fresh in his mind. Of all the people in the world, Song Tamlin was the last person he would trust. 

"Shouldn't the CEO be able to crack the code though?" Hyun Jung asked. "After all, her hacking skills are impeccable-"

"No!" KJ said firmly. "I don't want to tell her about this."

Hyun Jung stared at him in surprise. "KJ, she should know," he reasoned. "After all, she's helping us! She should know. And we need to uncover the secrets of this box. If we can do that then-"

"No," KJ repeated. "We won't tell her anything about this box."

"But why?"

It was hard to explain, but KJ did not want to tell anyone about this box yet. The moment he held the box, a familiar sense of dread overcame him. Goo Soo Bin specifically told the old man to hand over the box to him. There must be something in it which concerns his parents. If the detective had wanted, he could have given it directly to someone trustworthy from Hann Constructions like Secretary Lee. 

But his words were clear: hand the box only to KJ. The box he held...did it contain the decades long secret behind his parents death? 

"It still does not explain why Goo Soo Bin went to Hann Constructions that night," Hyun Jung said. "If we only had the CCTV footage…"

"Maybe he didn't go there," KJ said slowly. "He was summoned there by someone. But given that he was a detective, his instincts kicked in and he kept a copy of this evidence as a back up."

"Who could have called him?" Hyun Jung said out loud. "Secretary Lee?"

"Doubt it," KJ replied. "If it was him, then he would have told the CEO right away."

"But…" Hyun Jung hesitated. "But what if he is…"

KJ knew what he was thinking. The thought occurred to him as well. What if Secretary Lee was also involved with the Cartel?

"If he was involved, then he wouldn't have told us about Goo Soo Bin," KJ replied. "Even I didn't know that the lead detective of my parents' case was still investigating. Nah, I doubt he'd have betrayed us. Moreover, he worked with my grandfather faithfully for many years."

"I don't know, KJ," Hyun Jung shrugged. "After what Junhyung did to you, is it even possible to trust anyone?"

KJ did not answer that but drove on. At this point, it was even difficult to trust himself. 

"We're still not telling the CEO anything," he said adamantly. "This is my journey. Let's not involve her until we get a damning piece of evidence."

Hyun Jung noted his friend's expression. There was a soft look on his face whenever he mentioned the CEO of Abyss. It was the same expression whenever Hyun Jung looked at Somi…

"Fine," Hyun Jung agreed. "We won't tell her until the time is right."

KJ nodded and concentrated on the road. 

….

Back at the hotel, Mirae and Ash were going through the files.

"Anything?" Mirae asked.

"Nothing about KJ's parents," Ash replied. "However…"

He took out one file and pointed at one section.

"Look at this," he said. "A few years ago, there was a raid at one of the clubs in Seoul where quite a few associates of the Cartel were gathered. Unfortunately, the police did not have enough evidence to arrest them. However, one of the people on the list was…"

"Who was it?" Mirae asked.

"Kwon Yeri," Ash replied. "KJ's half sister."

"Those idiots are still hanging around the Cartel?" Mirae scoffed. 

"Apparently," Ash said. "I don't know much about them but KJ wasn't fond of them."

"Yeah, they abused him when he was a kid," Mirae replied. "They were cut off from the family fortune. I'm not surprised that they'd join hands with the Cartel given how their father was killed."

"Maybe they don't know?" Ash frowned.

"They do. They just don't care about anything else but money."

Ash glanced back at the papers. He recalled that KJ had once mentioned that her husband, Shin Shujin, was stealing money from his grandfather's business. When it was discovered, Grandpa Kwon kicked him out.

"This Yeri," Ash pointed out. "I think we should find her. If she's with the Cartel, then there's a chance she'd have heard something about her father's death. Also the other sister. Yura I think?"

"That thought occurred to me as well," Mirae admitted. "But those two sisters are tricky. They have some powerful backers. Every time we round in on them, they slip through our fingers."

Ash took out a piece of paper and began to map out the clues they had so far.

"If I start with Madam Lim," he said, writing her name. "She worked with Teppei, who in turn works with this Ziko. Ziko was paid by Shun Oguri to kill your parents but their relationship soured over the years. So there are two camps so far…"

Mirae looked as he drew out all the information they had so far.

"Shun Oguri looks after the business and corporate side of the Cartel while Ziko looks after the shadier businesses which include prostitution inside the entertainment industry," Ash pointed out. "Madam Hong had her own camp inside the entertainment industry. But if we're guessing correctly, it's now taken care of by Ziko."

"But there is a third person," Ash went on.

"Third person?" Mirae questioned.

"Yes," he replied. "This third person sent that video to Hyun Jung. The one about the meeting between Ziko, Shun and KJ's ex-friend Junhyung."

"Did Junhyung himself send that video?" Mirae asked. "Let us assume that there are three camps: Ziko, Shun and Junhyung. These three are definitely not fond of each other. The countless confrontations between Ziko and Shun are evidence of how they are competing against each other."

"It looks like some kind of civil war is going on between the Cartel members," Ash stated. "If only we had some sort of decisive evidence."

Mirae studied the paper he drew on. Right before their trip to Busan, she was thinking on the same lines. It seems that her line of thought was not off the mark. Suddenly, she reached out for her phone and dialed a number.

"I know just the guy who can assist us," she informed. "I didn't want to do this but…"

"Who?"

"You'll see," she grimaced. The expression on her face was troubled. She really did not want to call this particular person but desperate times call for desperate measures. The phone was ringing. She put it on speaker.

"Hello!" a bright and cheerful male voice greeted her from the other end. "CEO, is that you?"

"Yes," Mirae replied with a sour look. "How have you been, SD?"

"I'm great CEO!" SD replied from the other end. "I'm missing you, though. When are we meeting up next?"

"We will once you retrieve some information for me," Mirae replied. "Can you find out if there is some sort of civil war going on between the Cartel members?"

"Will do, CEO!" SD replied. "Let's meet up and discuss! You're in Busan, right? We can meet up and talk!"

Ash gave Mirae a questioning gaze. No one knew she was at Busan.

"Your boyfriend must be surprised," SD said. "About how I know you're in Busan."

SD let out a chuckle. "I know everything, Mr. Ash Park," he said. "After all, they don't call me the Sadistic Doctor for nothing!"